Angel Dust

We decided to entitle this section "Angel Dust" as this is what is created by the by busy flapping of Angel's wings as they do their magic.

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The following eight contributions were submitted by our members. We hope you enjoy them.

 

A Story to Live By by Ann Wells of the Los Angeles Times

 

My brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister's bureau and lifted out a tissue wrapped package.

"This is lingerie." He discarded the tissue and handed me the slip.

It was exquisite; silk, hand made and trimmed with a cobweb of lace. The price tag with an astronomical figure on it was still attached.

"Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, at least 8 or 9 years ago. She never wore it. She was saving it for a special occasion. Well, I guess this is the occasion.

He took the slip from me and put it on the bed with the other clothes we were taking to the mortician. His hands lingered on the soft material for a moment, then he slammed the drawer shut and turned to me.

"Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Every day you're alive is a special occasion."

I remembered those words through the funeral and the days that followed when I helped him and my niece attend to all the sad chores that follow an unexpected death. I thought about them on the plane returning to California from the Midwestern town where my sister's family live. I thought about all the things that she hadn't seen or heard or done. I thought about the things she had done without realising they were special.

I'm still thinking about his words, and they've changed my life. I'm reading more and doing less. I'm sitting on the deck and admiring the view without worrying about the weeds in the garden. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time at committee meetings. Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experience to savour, not endure. I'm trying to recognise these moments now and cherish them.

I'm not 'saving' anything; we use our good china and crystal for every special event - such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, the first camellia blossom. I wear my good blazer to the market if I feel like it. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $29.49 for one small bag of groceries without wincing. I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties; clerks in hardware stores and tellers in banks have noses that function as well as my party-going friends.

"Some day" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now. I'm not sure what my sister would have done had she known she wouldn't be here for the tomorrow we all take for granted. I think she would have called family members and a few close friends. She might have called a few former friends to apologise and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think she would have gone out for a Chinese dinner, her favourite food. I'm guessing - I'll never know.

It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew my hours were limited. Angry because I put off seeing good friends whom I was going to get in touch with some day. Angry because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and daughter often enough how much I truly love them. I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and lustre to our lives.

And every morning when I open my eyes, I tell myself that it is special. Every day, every minute, every breath truly is . . . a gift from God.

 

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A True Story

 

His name was Flemming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while working in the fields, he heard a cry for help.

Running toward the source of the cries, he found a terrified boy, mired to his waist in the black muck of a bog. Telling the boy to be still, Farmer Flemming lopped a bough from a near by tree. He pushed this over the surface of the bog, and was able to drag to boy free. Mrs Flemming washed the boy's clothes while he bathed himself, and afterwards the boy departed, thanking the family profusely.

The next day a carriage came to the Flemming farm house, and an elegantly dressed nobleman introduced himself as the father of the boy Flemming had saved. "I wish to reward you," said the nobleman, "for saving my son's life."

"I cannot accept payment for what I did," said the farmer. "It was what anyone would have done - I want no reward."

At that point the farmer's son came to the door.

"Is that your son?" asked the nobleman.

"Yes, that's my son, Alex." replied the farmer proudly.

"As you refuse my reward, I will make a deal with you instead. Let me take your son and give him a good education. If the lad is anything like his father, he'll grow to be a man you can be proud of."

A deal was struck and in time Farmer Flemming's son graduated from St Mary's Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Flemming, the discoverer of Penicillin.

Years afterwards, the nobleman's son was stricken with pneumonia. What saved him? Penicillin. The nobleman's name? Randolph Churchill. And the name of his son, who Farmer Flemming saved? Sir Winston Churchill.

Someone once said, what goes around comes around. Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like nobody's watching.

 

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Beautiful Women

 

A little boy asked his mother "Why are you crying?"

"Because I'm a woman", she told him.

"I don't understand", he said.

His mum just hugged him and said, "And you never will"

Later the little boy asked his father, "Why does mother seem to cry for no reason?"

"All women cry for no reason", was all his dad could say.

The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry.

Finally he put in a call to God; and when God got on the phone, he asked, "God, why do women cry so easily?"

God said:

"When I made the woman she had to be special. I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world; yet, gentle enough to give comfort"

"I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times comes from her children"

"I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up, and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue without complaining "

"I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances, even when her child has hurt her very badly"

"I gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart"

"I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly"

"And finally, I gave her a tear to shed. This is hers exclusively to use whenever it is needed."

"You see, the beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair."

"The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart - the place where love resides."

 

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I am Hereby Officially Tendering my Resignation as an Adult.

I have decided I would like to accept the responsibilities of an 8 year old again.

I want to go to McDonald's and think that it's a four star restaurant.
I want to sail sticks across a fresh mud puddle and make ripples with rocks.
I want to think M&Ms are better than money because you can eat them.
I want to play dodgeball at recess and paint with water colours in art.
I want to lie under a big oak tree and run a lemonade stand with my friends on a hot summer's day.
I want to return to a time when life was simple.
When all you knew were colours, multiplication tables, and nursery rhymes, but that didn't bother you, because you didn't know what you didn't know and you didn't care.
All you knew was to be happy because you were blissfully unaware of all the things that should make you worried or upset.
I want to think the world is fair.
That everyone is honest and good.
I want to believe that anything is possible.
Somewhere in our youth, we matured and learned too much.
What happened to the time when we thought that everyone would live forever, because we didn't grasp the concept of death? When the worst thing in the world was if someone took the skipping rope from you or picked you last for football.
I want to be oblivious to the complexities of life and be overly excited by the little things again.
I want to return to the days when children played hide and seek outside instead of being glued to a television, when video games were as harmless as Pac-Man.
I remember being naive and thinking everyone was happy because I was.
Afternoons were spent climbing trees and fences and riding my bike.
I never worried about time, bills, or where I was going to find the money to fix my car.
I used to wonder what I was going to do or be when I grew up, not worry about what I'll do if this doesn't work out.
I want to live simple again.
I want to believe in the power of smiles, hugs, a kind word, truth, justice, peace, dreams, the imagination, mankind, and making angels in the snow.
So....
here's my cheque book and my car keys, my credit card bills and all the other adult stuff.
I am officially resigning from adulthood.
And if you want to discuss this further, you'll have to catch me first, 'cause ...

"TAG! You're it."

Make it a great Day!!!!!!!

 

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If I Had My Life to Live Over by Irma Bombeck

 

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the "good" living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather rambling about his youth.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have burned the pink candle sculped like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television, and more while watching life.

I would have gone to bed when I was sick, instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment, realising that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."

There would have been more "I love you's" and more "I'm sorry's"

. . . but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute . . . look at it and really see it . . . and never give it back.

 

In memory of Erma Bombeck, who lost her fight with cancer.

 

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Instructions for Life

 

1. Give people more than they expect, and do it cheerfully.
2. Memorise your favourite poem.
3. Don't believe all that you hear or read.
4. When you say, "I love you", mean it.
5. When you say, "I'm sorry", look the person in the eye.
6. Believe in love at first sight.
7. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams, don't have much.
8. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
9. In disagreements fight fairly. No name calling.
10. Don't judge people by their relatives.
11. Talk slowly but think quickly.
12. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"
13. Remember that great love and great achievements can involve great risks.
14. Say, "Bless you!" when you hear someone sneeze.
15. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
16. Remember the three R's: Respect for self, Respect for others, Responsibility for all of your actions.
17. Don't allow a small dispute to injure a great friendship.
18. When you realise you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
19. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear the smile in your voice.
20. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be important.
21. No matter how long you've been with someone, don't think that they're able to read your thoughts - talk to them about what's on your mind!
22. Make it a habit to spend a little time alone each day.
23. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
24. Read more books and watch less TV.
25. Live a good and honourable life. When you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.
26. Trust in God, but lock your house and car.
27. A loving atmosphere in your home is very important. Do all you can to create a tranquil, harmonious home.
28. In disagreements with loved ones, deal with the current situation, don't bring up the past.
29. Read between the lines.
30. Don't jump to conclusions.
31. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
32. Share your knowledge. It's the best way to achieve immortality.
33. Be gentle with the earth.
34. Pray. There's immeasurable power in it.
35. Never interrupt when you're being flattered.
36. Mind your own business.
37. Once a year go somewhere that you've never been.
38. If you make a great deal of money, put it to use in helping others. That way you'll get satisfaction from it while you're still alive. 39. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a stroke of good luck.
40. Learn the rules so you know how to break some of them properly.
41. Remember that the best relationship is the one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other.
42. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it. If you lost your family, or your health, etc., then it probably wasn't worth it.
43. Remember that your character is your destiny.
44. Approach love and cooking with the same reckless abandon.
45. Believe in miracles.

 

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Something to Think About

 

The things I am thankful for:

· The mess to clean up after a party, because it means I have been surrounded by friends; · The taxes I pay, because it means that I am employed; · The clothes that fit a little too snugly, because it means I have enough to eat; · My shadow who watches me work, because it means I am outside in sunshine; · A lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and things that need fixing, because it means I have a home; · The spot I find at the far end of the car park, because it means I am capable of walking; · All the complaining I hear about our government, because it means we have freedom of speech; · My huge heating bill, because it means I am warm; · The person who sings off key, because it means I can hear; · The piles of laundry and ironing, because it means those I love are near by; · The alarm that goes off in the morning, because it means I am alive; · Weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day, because it means I have been productive; · The friends and family I share this message with, to remind us all what is important in life.

From the Aldgate Church of Christ Newsletter

 

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The Miracle

 

Tess was a precocious eight-year-old. When she overheard her parents talking about her little brother Andrew, she found out that he was very sick, and that they had no money. Tess learned the family was moving out of the house to an apartment, to save money so they could pay for the doctor's bills. Costly surgery could save her brother, but her parents didn't have the money for this. She heard her father say to her mother, "Only a miracle can save him now."

Tess went to her bedroom and retrieved a jar from its hiding place. She emptied the coins onto the floor and counted them carefully. Placing the coins back in the jar, she slipped out the back door and made her way six blocks to Rexall's Drug Store, with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door. The pharmacist was busily engaged in conversation with a well dressed man. Tess took a coin from her jar and tapped it on the glass counter.

"And what do you want?", the pharmacist asked, and without waiting for a reply, said, "I'm talking to my brother from Chicago who I haven't seen in ages."

"Well I want to talk about my brother," Tess answered. "He's really sick - and I want to buy a miracle."

"I beg your pardon?" said the pharmacist.

"His name is Andrew and he's really sick, and my father says only a miracle can save him. So how much does a miracle cost?"

"We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry, but I can't help you," the pharmacist replied.

"Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I'll get the rest some how. Just tell me how much it costs."

The pharmacist's brother bent down and asked the little girl, "What kind of a miracle does your brother need?"

"I don't know," Tess replied with tears in her eyes. "I just know that he has something bad growing inside his head, and he needs an operation. My father can't pay for it, so I want to use my money."

"How much money do you have?" asked the man from Chicago.

"One dollar and eleven cents" Tess answered.

"Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man. "A dollar and eleven cents is the exact price of a miracle for little brothers." He took the money in one hand, and with the other he grasped her hand and said, "Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the kind of miracle you need."

The well dressed man was Dr Carlton Armstrong, a neuro surgeon. The operation was completed without charge, and it wasn't long before Andrew was home again and doing well.

Tess heard her mother say to her father, "That surgery was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?"

Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost - one dollar and eleven cents. Plus the faith of a little child.

A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law.

 

All but one of the above stories does not have a source. If you know the source of any of the unidentified ones, please advise us so we can add this in the next update of our site.

If you have a favourite story, you may like to send it to us for inclusion in this section, and if you do so, please advise the author/source so we can mention this.

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